Means for supplying liquid fuel



-J. P. REMINGTON.

MEANS EUR SUPPLYING LIQUID FUEL T0 EXPLOSIVE MOTORS. APPLICATION FILED MIIYze, 1 919.

15.373,91 2 Patented Apr. 5, 1921..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH PERCY REMINGTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO REMINGTON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYL- VANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

MEANS FOR SUPPLYING LIQUID FUEL .'IO EXPLOSIVE-MOTORS.

Application filed, May 26,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH P. REMING- TON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Philadelphia,- county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement'in Means for' Sup plying Liquid Fuel to Explosive-Motors, of which the following is a specication.

My invention has for its object the provision of suitable means for supplying gasolene or other explosive Huid to a motor from a source of supply which is located at a lower level than that of the carbureter of the motor, and which means shall be simple in construction, positive in action, inexpensive to manufacture and requiring very little space for installation. y

A further object of my invention is to provide a system for raising the gasolene or other iiuid to an elevation suiicient to insure the flow, by gravity, to the carbureter in such a manner that the iiow shall be practically continuous during the operation of the motor, so as to avoid the necessity of large reservoirs or tanks for directly supplying` the carbureter with the fluid; this being accomplished by providing a direct pumping operation as distinguished from a continuous suction and with the result that approximately only sufficient gasolene is drawn to the higher level of the motor as would be required by the said motor under its maximum consumption. rlChe pumping action is secured by providing the suction from a single cylinder oi' the motor, so as to obtain positive intermittent action as dis tinguished from a practically continuous suction which would be secured from the intake manifold of a multiple cylinder motor. While in my improved system it is intended that the supply of gasolene shall be maintained approximately in accordance with the consumption, it is manifest that the rate oi consumption with the same engine varies under different speeds and loads and consequently provision is made for operation between maximum and minimum requirements, and the devices are so constructed that this condition is maintained by control of the liquid supply, to prevent, on the one hand, an abnormal rise of the liquid in the system and, on the other hand, an abnormal return of the liquid to the storage Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

1919. serial No. 299,837.

tank during any variation in the operation of the motor.

Viith the above and other objects in view, the nature of which will be more fully understood irom the description taken in connection with the drawings, the invention consists in the novel construction of apparatus as hereinafter more fully described and deiined in the claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure l is a diagrammatic elevation, illustrating the application of my invention to a motor and supply tank; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view oi the means for controlling the ilow of the gasolene; Fig. 3 is a vertical section takenon the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, but on a larger scale; and Fig. 4l is a perspective view of the valve piece shown in Figs. 2 and 3, which is directly operated by the intermittent pressure oi' the motor cylinder.

2 illustrates a multiple cylinder motor of any suitable character, such as employed in automobiles or motor boats, and in which the several cylinders 3 may be supplied from a common carbureter ll, through the usual manifold system. 5 is the reservoir or supply tank and which is shown at a lower level than the carbureter 4, and from which the gasolene or other explosive fluid is required to flow through pipes 7 and 8 to the carbureter under the regulation of the control mechanism 6 which is arranged at a higher elevation than the carbureter and made effective by the varying pressure, due to the pulsations supplied through a pipe 9 'from one of the plurality of cylinders 3.

In the operation oi this apparatus, the single cylinder 3 operates as a pump to supply suction and pressure alternately through the pipe 9, these actions oi suction and pressure taking place alternately in a rapid intermittent manner during the running of the motor. rlhe construction of the device 6 is such that the suction'impulses produced in the pipe 9 are intermittently made eiiective to create vacuum impulses within the chamber of the said device, whereas the pressure impulses in the pipe 9 are excluded as far as possible from the said chamber of the device. In this manner, the gasolene is caused to iiow from the tank 5 upwardlythrough the pipe 7 and into the chamber of the device 6, and'thence, by gravity, to pass through illustrate a preferred construction. 10 is a tubular body which is closed at top and bottom to provide a float chamber. At the bottom, this body 1() is screwed into a base 11 provided with an outlet 12 for connection with the pipe 8 which'leads to the carbureter 4; and this outlet 12 is provided with a check valve 13 which permits free flow ot gasolene from the float chamber to the carbureter, but prevents any suction within the float chamber drawing the gasolene from the carbureter through the pipe 8 into the float chamber. Screwed into the bottom oi" the base l1 is a bushing 14 having a screw threaded nipple :tor connection with the supply pipe 7 leading from the reservoir 5. The bushing 14 is recessed on its upper part A to provide an enlarged chamber 15, and

when screwed into place within the bottom of the base 11, it is made to clamp a strainer 16 of suitable material in position to prevent any particles of dirt iinding its way from the reservoir 5 to the float chamber and thence to the carbureter. The base piece 11, immediately above the strainer 16 is provided with a vertical aperture 17 opening into the `tloat chamber within the tubular body 10. The lower portion of this aperture is provided with a valve seat 32 upon which seats a check valve 30 to permit flow of gasolene Jrom the reservoir 5 and pipe 7 into the float chamber of the body 10, but prevent backilow from said chamber. The upper part of the passage 17 is provided with an annular bushing 17 a which retains the check valve 30 within its valve chamber (formed by the passage 17 between `the bushing and valve seat) and also acts as a guide for the lower end of the float to be later described.

The top of the tubular body 10 is screwed tightlyinto a head 18 which is provided with a vertical passage 23 and a horizontal passage 20, said passages communicating with each other, as shown. The horizontal passageV ,20 is provided at one end with a valve seat 21 and at the other end with a valve seat 22, said valve seats facing in opposite directions.V The passage 2O and its valve seat 21 are in communication with a threaded nipple V19 with which the pipe 9 (Fig. 1) is connected. 25 is a valve stem preferably square in cross section (Fig. 3) and has upon one end a valve piece 26 and on the other end a valve piece 27, said valve pieces respectively adapted to cooperate with the seats 21 and 22 aforesaid. The length of the valve stem 25 is such that the valve pieces 26 and 27 are separated ar slightly greater distance than are the seats 21 and 22, so that when the valve piece 2G seats tightly upon the seat 2l, the valve piece 27 is clear of its seat 22, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Similarly, when the valve piece 27 is seated tightly upon its seat 22, the valve piece 2G will be oit its seat 21. This valve piece .is put into rapid reciprocation during the normal running of the motor, as it makes one reciprocation with each reciprocation et the piston in the cylinder with which it is in communication through the pipe 9.

A float 28 is arranged within the float chamber formed by the tubular body 10 and this float is of elongated shape in a vertical direction, so that the diameter of the body l() is relatively small. The upper end of the float 28 is provided with a conical valve piece 29, the extension of which is guided in the aperture 23. The lower edge of this aperture constitutes a valve seat 24 in which the conical valve piece 29 seats when the float is sutliciently raised by the presence ot gasolene in the iioat chamber, indicated in Fig. 2. lVhen this condition takes place, the suction produced by the motor does not become effective upon the contents of the iioat chamber because the valve piece 29 acts as a check valve to close the communication with the float chamber. The lower end ot the tioat 28 is provided with a guide pin 31 which is received in and guided by the annular bushing 17 aforesaid, so that the float is guided vertically without contacting with the sides of the body 10. l

The operation will now be understood:n Assuming that the motor is in operation with the preliminary supply of gasolene in the carbureter, the alternate suction and pressure which is produced in the cylinder 3 connecting with the pipe 9, will exert alternately a suction and pressure through said pipe in synchronism with the reciprocations i of the piston inthe motor, and this will be with every reciprocation ot the piston, whether the motor be a two-cycle or tourcycle machine. The higher the speed ot the motor, the more rapid will be the alternations between suction and pressure in the pipe 9. The eitect of the alternating suction and pressure in the pipe S) is to reciprocate the valve piece 25. On the suction stroke of the motor, the valve piece 25 is moved to the right (Fig. 2) and this enables t ie suction to extend into the Hout chamber, causing iniiow of gasolene until the iioat 28 is lifted sutliciently to close the aperture 23. The suction impulses will cause the gasolene Si (l to How from the reservoir 5 through pipe 7 and upwardly into the float chamber, and in this case the gasolene will pass from the chamber 15 through the strainer 16 and passage 17 into the float chamber. During the normal operation of the device, the check valve 30 prevents backfiow of gasolene from the float chamber to the reservoir and consequently the gasolene is retained except/as it may be fed to the carbureter.

On the pressure stroke of the motor, the valve piece 25 is moved to the left, to the position shown in F ig. 2, in which case the pressure is shut off from the float chamber and at the same time said float chamber is in communication with the atmosphere byy reason of the fact that the valve piece 27 is moved away from its seat 22. When this action takes place, the gasolene within the float chamber is free to pass by the check valve 13 and through pipe 8 to the carbureter 4, it being understood that the iioat controlling valve of the carbureter regulates the delivery of gasolene to the carbureter in accordance with its requirements. If during the normal operation of the apparatus, the gasolene in the ioat chamber rises to the level indicated in F ig. 2, it will raise the float and, in so doing, cause the valve piece 29 to seat at 24 to close the passage 23, so that no further suction can exert its influence within the float chamber to increase the height of the gasolene therein; and this condition will be maintained until the level of the gasolene in the float chamber descends sufficiently to lower the float, by the gasolene passing to the carbureter. Under normal operation of the motor, the gasolene sucked into the float chamber would be slightly in excess of requirements to insure a suiiiciency of supply; but irrespective of the speeds of the motor, the suction is automatically shut off from the float chamber by the valve iece 29 in case olf an excess of gasolene in t e float chamber. Should the motor continue to operate at high speed and thereby provide suction upon the float chamber in excess of what is normally necessary, then in such case, the gasolene will rise to a level sufficient to lift the float and its valve piece 29 to shut off the suction by sealing the passage 23, andmaintaining this condition until the level of the gasolene lowers sufficiently. The valve piece 29 acts as a check against abnormal rise of the gasolene and loss by drawing it out of the float chamber. By means of the devices above referred to, the level of the gasolene is maintained within reasonably close levels, which insure an average normal static head sufficient to insure proper supplying of gasolene to the carbureter under all possible conditions.

l have shown a vent aperture 36 (Fig. 2) opening from the float chamber into the valve seat 22 which, when the valve piece 27 is off its seat, will permit ready access of air into the float chamber to break any vacuum that might be therein and to insure the iiow of the gasolene to the carbureter. The vent aperture 36 positively admits air to the float chamber in an intermittent manner and is especially relied upon when the float is raised sufiiciently high to have its valve piece 29 seal the air passages 23. 'If it were not for the vent aperture 36, controlled byv the valve piece 27, it is manifest that when the fluid level in the iioat chamber reached a maximum, as indicated in Fig. 2, the gasolene would not flow vproperly to the carbureter, since there would be no way of lowering the float and its valve piece 29 to permit inflow of air.

The alternate action of the suction and pressure upon the valve pieces 26 and 27, is to make them reciprocate rapidly and to produce in the float chamber corresponding suction and pressure eifects, the former drawing the gasolene from the reservoir 5 into the float chamber, and the latter causing it to flow to the carbureter; and these results are so rapidly alternated, that the flow from the reservoir 5 to the carbureter 4`may be taken as a practically continuous action commensurate with the motor requirements. Because of this, it is not necessary to provide large vacuum tanks which are alternately subjected to vacuum and atmospheric pressure at long intervals under the control of a float actuated valve mechanism, as has heretofore been the customary practice; but instead, my improved system permits of the use of a chamber between the reservoir and carbureter of minimum size, as above pointed out.

By reference to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be seen thatthe stem 25 of the valve pieces 26 and 27 is made square in cross section and the purpose of this is that it shall touch the aperture 20 at four places, so that it is properly guided thereby while permitting the passage of airand thereby obviates the necessity of additional guiding means. l

Apparatus of this character requires very little additionalspace under the engine hood of an automobile, because the control devices 6 are only approximately six inches long by one inch in diameter and, therefore, it has been found exceedingly easy to install apparatus of this character in the available space in automobiles.

I have described my improved methodv and means in ythat particularity which l deem to be the best exposition of my invention, and that which l prefer in commercial practice, but I do not restrict or confine myself to the minor or secondary details, as such variations may be resorted to as matters of mechanical skill and without a departure from the spirit of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patents is 1. Means for supplying liquid fuel to an explosive motorcomprising the combination of a motor provided with a carbureter, and a reservoir for liquid fuel at a lower elevation than the carbureter, combined with a chamber lat a higher elevation than the carbureter, a pipe leading from the lower partef the chamber to the carbureter for supplying'liquid fuel thereto, a pipe leading from the reservoir to the lower part of the chamber, a freely operating gravity actuated check valve interposed between the chamber and reservoir to permit flowof liquid fuel from the reservoir into the chamber and prevent backfiow therefrom, a pipe leading from the upper part of the chamber and connecting with a cylinder of the motor whereby rapid alternating impulses of suction and pressure are exerted in said pipe during the normal operation of the motor, and a valve device for providing rapid alternating communication between the upper part of the chamberand the atmosphere on one hand and the pipe connecting with the motor cylinder during its suction cycle on the other hand, said valve device arranged for synchronous reciprocation with each change from pressure to suction and viceversa, in the cylinder of the motor.

2. The construction specified in claim l, having the chamber provided with a vertically movable float furnished at its upper end with a valve piece for opening and closing communication between the chamber and the valve device which controls 'the communication with the pipe connecting with the cylinder of the motor, whereby when the liquid fuel has risen in the chamber to a maximum level, further suction from the cylinder of the motor will be ineffective upon the contents ofthe chamber until the level of the liquid fuel therein has become sufiiciently lowered.

3. The invention specified in claim 1, having the chamber provided with a vertically movable float actuated valve for automatically closing communication between the chamber and thevalve device which controls communication with the pipe connecting with the cylinder of the motor and operating` when the liquid fuel has risen inthe chamber to a maximum level, and a vent aperture opening from the chamber and controlled by the valve piece of the valve device for providing communication between the chamber and the atmosphere.

4., The invention specified in claim l, having the devide for providing communication between the cylinder of the motor and the interior of the chamber formed as a check valve closing toward the chamber under pressure impulses of the motor, and having further an additional check valve movable under the action of the varying liquid level within the chamber, whereby the suction produced by the motor is not permitted to affect the liquid within the chamber after it reaches a maximum level.

5. The invention specified in claim 1, further having the chamber provided with a fioat and valve piece to close communication with the upper part of the chamber l when a maximum level of liquid fuel is contained therein, whereby a normally closed or normally openl communication may be automatically provided with the chamber according to the level of the liquid fuel therein and without interfering with the normal rapid reciprocations of the valve device which is affected by the alternating pressure and suction effects produced within the motor.

6. In a device for controlling the supply of liquid fuel to a motor, the combination of a fioat chamber having at the bottom an intake port and a discharge port, freely acting check valves for respectively permitting the inflow 0f fluid to the fioat chamber and outfiow of fluid from the float chamber through the discharge port, a passage from the upper part of the float chamber having communication both with the atmosphere and with an inlet port arranged for communication with a source of alternating suction an d pressure, two check valves connected together and movable as a unit for alternately shutting off communication between the chamber and the atmosphere while opening communication between the chamber and the inlet port leading to the source of suction and pressure and vice versa, and a float operated valve within the fioat chamber for controlling communication between the upper part thereof and the inlet port leading to the source of suction and pressure whereby the latter may be shut off automatically whenever the liquid within the chamber rises to a maximum level.

n testimony of which invention, l hereunto set my hand.

JOSEPH PERCY REMINGTGN. 

